Bright young thing Yolanda Kettle is the LAMDA graduate from the West Midlands who is treading boards and raising the bar with her fluid, feminine theatrical finesse.
First arriving on our radars with an outstanding performance as Nina in Chekhov’s The Seagull, Yolanda is the fresh face fronting tomorrow’s generation of rising British acting talent. Interested only in performing on stage as opposed to in film or on television, she represents part of a brave backlash working against the rise of the disposable celebrity. Uninterested in fame but in love with the art of drama, this bright-eyed, classically trained student of the contemporary arts refined her skills working alongside MYT, a community project focussed upon providing a platform for all-singing, all-dancing talent. Inspired by her idol Janet Suzman, whom she first saw perform as a child, this 24-year-old’s ambitions lie over at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Under no illusions as to how difficult the industry she is entering into really is, Yolanda is in it purely for the love of the play. Citing fellow graduate Jessica Rain as the one to watch, recently nominated for the Charleston Award, Yolanda’s sweet and spritely disposition is infectious. Nothing is ever set in stone in the world of acting, one can only watch the space and keep an eye out for Yolanda’s pretty face. i-D online rustled backstage at the Arcola to find out what’s keeping this aspiring thespian inspired and how other young actors can keep themselves optimistic.
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